committee spotlight
Habitat for Humanity:
Building Homes, Communities and Hope
T
The Houston Lawyer
By Deanna Markowitz Willson
he HBA’s Habitat for Humanity Committee partners with Houston Habitat for Humanity to help provide safe, affordable housing to those who qualify. Houston has a shortage of affordable single-family homes with only 18 units available for every 100 low-income households. The devastation of Hurricane Harvey only exacerbated Houston’s affordable housing crisis and left many residents without a decent place to live. By building homes and providing financial assistance to qualified applicants, Houston Habitat works to meet the needs of low-income Houston residents and provides a founHBA volunteers at a Habitat build site. dation for future success. Since 1987, Houston Habitat has served more than 5,000 families by facilitating homeownership and home repair. Habitat homeowners receive financial guidance and home maintenance training. These future homeowners put in hundreds of “sweat equity” hours building their homes alongside volunteers and ultimately purchase their home with an affordable mortgage made possible by Houston Habitat. Time after time, Houston Habitat has witnessed how the stability of homeownership is transformative for the Habitat families. Homeownership provides the foundation to save more, invest in education, live in a healthier environment, and improve financial stability. Affordable housing empowers these homeowners to build a better future for themselves and their families for generations to come. Over the course of the HBA Habitat Committee’s 23-year partnership with Houston Habitat, the HBA has built 22 houses for deserving Houston families. Each year, the HBA Habitat Committee has two primary objectives. First, the Committee raises the funds necessary to build a Habitat home from the generosity of HBA Sections, law firms, legal organizations, and individual donors. Second, the Committee coordinates build days during 38
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which members of the Houston legal community volunteer to participate in the actual measuring, sawing, and hammering required to build the home. This year, the HBA Habitat Committee is fundraising for its 23rd home. Once the home is completed and the new homeowner is about to move in, Houston Habitat and the HBA Habitat Committee take part in a dedication ceremony. During this ceremony, members of the HBA and Houston Habitat meet and congratulate the new homeowners. It is beyond rewarding to hear the family explain how meaningful homeownership is for them. Of course, none of this could be accomplished without support from the HBA, donors, volunteers, and all the invaluable assistance of Houston Habitat. Thank you! For more information on the HBA’s Habitat for Humanity Committee, please reach out to Bonnie Simmons (BonnieS@ hba.org). If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation toward our 23rd HBA Habitat home, please visit www.houstonhabitat. org/hba/. Deanna Markowitz Willson is the co-chair of the HBA Habitat for Humanity Committee and a litigation associate at Locke Lord, LLP where she focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation. She can be reached at Deanna.Willson@lockelord.com.
